Chapter 4

(Listen, thank you, Kuo Dao, thank you, Tieba Alliance, thank you, Chao Hui, thank you, Chen Ge, for the four Alliance Masters on the first day of the new book. Thank you for the generous support from my brothers on the first day of the new book's release. Thank you, Niu Niu, Zhui Su, Fan Le, and Duo Yao, for your hard work in preparing the new book's promotional activities. Thank you all for your long-term love and support over the years; during the new book period, special attention is needed for collections and recommendation votes...)

The towering Taowei Mountains stretch for thousands of miles, spanning the northwest of Yanzhou.

At the western foot of the Taowei Mountains, the mountains are high and the valleys are perilous, with dense forests and rugged rocks. The deepest parts are shrouded in thick, unyielding mist, where many spiritual herbs grow and spiritual beasts roam.

On a quiet afternoon, a young fox moved through the tranquil forest valley, its steps silent on the stones. Its sky-blue fur was as smooth and beautiful as silk, and its two high, fluffy tails indicated that it was a rare breed even among blue foxes.

Although being discovered by humans would likely result in being captured and skinned for its beautiful fur to make exquisite spirit armor, and its flesh would be refined into spirit medicine, the young fox was captivated by the fascinating world beyond the deep mountains. It was immersed in the mist filled with the essence of heaven and earth, feeling that every breath of air here was fresher than in the depths of the desert's Nine Creek Fox Hills.

The young fox leaped onto a cliff as steep as a sword, from where it could vaguely see a large canyon winding deep into the western foot of the Taowei Mountains. At the northern end of the canyon's entrance stood a magnificent city.

The young fox, already endowed with intelligence, stared enviously at the city at the canyon's entrance. It had heard the elders of its clan say that this was Weijiang City, a key fortress of the Great Yan Empire controlling the northwest foot of the Taowei Mountains and resisting the northern barbarians.

Weijiang City was garrisoned by tens of thousands of elite human soldiers, and among the commanders were many powerful cultivators of the Enlightenment and Dao Pill realms, all of whom were true disciples or even elder protectors of the Taowei Sect. Weijiang City was a place that the blue fox clan was absolutely forbidden to enter.

South of Weijiang City, through the winding canyon, one could enter the depths of the Taowei Mountains. On the southern foot of the mountains, in the heart of the Hexi region, which was the western frontier of the Great Yan Empire, on the steep peaks shrouded in deep mist, one could faintly see a cluster of magnificent palaces and courtyards floating above the sea of clouds on clear days.

That was the entrance to the Taowei Sect, resembling a fairyland in the clouds.

As the leading sect of the Hexi region, the Taowei Sect not only produced the main commanders of the Wuwei Army, which had repeatedly repelled the southern invasions of the barbarians, but also composed the most elite Dao Yabing troops, which were almost entirely made up of the sect's junior disciples.

The young fox had just cultivated to the Mystic Realm and was far from having the ability to transform. Although it wanted to enter the human cultivation sects to practice, it was still a distant dream for it.

Beyond the canyon, entering the southern foot of the Taowei Mountains, was the heartland of the Hexi region, the western frontier of the Great Yan Empire...

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A sharp eagle cry pierced the sky.

A black shadow darted out from Weijiang City, and the young fox soon saw a small patch of dark clouds gathering in the vast blue sky, with lightning flickering at the edges of the clouds...

The black shadow moved swiftly, heading directly for Qiyun Ridge after leaving Weijiang City, and the small patch of thunderclouds followed it quickly.

A hint of fear flashed in the young fox's eyes.

Although the blue fox clan was a spiritual beast in the depths of the desert with few natural enemies, the Blue-scaled Thunder Eagle was one of the few natural enemies of the blue foxes in the desert and the Taowei Mountains. Although the young fox had never left the Fox Hills before, it had heard the elders describe the appearance and ferocity of the Blue-scaled Thunder Eagle.

With scales like armor and the ability to summon thunder, the Blue-scaled Thunder Eagle was a clear characteristic. Moreover, this was a Thunder Eagle that had cultivated to the Enlightenment Realm and could trigger the resonance of the elemental thunder energy of heaven and earth.

The young fox darted into the dense forest, moving as fast as a bolt of blue lightning, but once it entered the forest, it dared not make any more movements, and its aura was completely concealed. A deer ran past it, but did not notice its presence.

The Blue-scaled Thunder Eagle was flying towards the cliff where the young fox was.

Having cultivated to the Enlightenment Realm, the young fox's mind had been elevated to the level of spiritual awareness, making its perception of the surroundings extremely sensitive. It feared that even the slightest leakage of its aura would lead to an irredeemable situation.

Through the gaps in the branches, the young fox soon saw the Blue-scaled Thunder Eagle, with wings spanning over twelve meters, soaring over the towering cliffs and reaching the treetops in about half a cup of tea's time. The thundercloud above the eagle's head grew thicker, with lightning flickering, ready to unleash a bolt of thunder at any moment.

"Yao Xing is despicable and deceitful, tricking Zilin into escorting him to gather herbs in the mountains. Once in the mountains, he had ulterior motives and tried to assault her. In the struggle, he fell off the cliff, which was purely his own fault. How can this be blamed on Zilin?"

An angry female voice came from the back of the Blue-scaled Thunder Eagle. Although the young fox had only cultivated to the basic Mystic Realm, it was a naturally gifted spirit with all five senses, allowing it to hear the faint sounds from over ten miles away. It then realized that this Thunder Eagle, which had cultivated to the Enlightenment Realm, was actually the mount of a powerful human cultivator.

Several people were riding the Blue-scaled Thunder Eagle, flying over the treetops.

The young fox held its breath, not even daring to exhale.

"Hmph," a worried and dissatisfied sigh came from the back of the Blue-scaled Thunder Eagle. "Xing'er fell off the cliff by accident, and I won't blame Zilin, but why didn't Zilin save him?"

"Father gave Xing'er the Qingyun Armor to protect him. How could he possibly be hurt falling off a cliff? Zilin was bullied by him and wouldn't dare to approach such a despicable person. She ran out of the mountains in panic and immediately told you, Father," the little girl argued, sounding both aggrieved and stubborn.

"Yao Xing's character is despicable, and he is not tolerated by the Yao clan. He was exiled to Hexi, and Father kindly allowed him to cultivate at the Taowei Sect. However, he did not reform and has tarnished his reputation, making him detested by everyone. He even spoke nonsense to Qing'er. If something happens to him, it might not be a bad thing, saving us from future troubles that could involve Father and the Chen clan..." A young man's voice came from the back of the Blue-scaled Thunder Eagle, mercilessly recounting someone's misdeeds.

"Xing'er suffered a major setback at a young age, and it's inevitable that he would become dispirited. If something happens to him, how can I face his parents, who have been out of contact?" The voice of a middle-aged man sounded helpless and anxious, urging the Thunder Eagle to fly deeper into Qiyun Ridge.

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"Where am I?"

Chen Hai woke up, feeling as if his limbs were disassembled, and the slightest movement caused excruciating pain. He found himself lying in a deep valley, covered in dead leaves, surrounded by rugged cliffs and slippery moss. A thick, milky white mist obscured the sky, making it impossible to see beyond the valley.

What happened? He shouldn't be dead, and he should be in the hospital receiving treatment. Why was he lying in the wilderness?

More distressing than the physical pain was the fragmented consciousness in his mind. It felt as if his soul would shatter with the slightest movement, and it seemed that someone else's memories had been forcibly implanted in his mind. Scenes and faces he didn't recognize kept flashing in his mind, almost bursting his brain...

Why did he have someone else's memories?

They were the memories of a young man named Yao Xing. However, these memories were so fragmented that Chen Hai spent a long time piecing them together. He learned that Yao Xing was one of the most promising disciples of the Yao clan, one of the thirty-six noble families of the Great Yan Empire. At fourteen, he had cultivated to the Spirit Opening Realm and was designated as the clan's heir, becoming one of the empire's most brilliant new stars. However, at seventeen, he committed a heinous crime, had his cultivation revoked, and was expelled from the clan, eventually being exiled to Hexi and seeking refuge with his uncle, Chen Lie, who served as the Left Chief Martial Officer General in the Wuwei Army.

Chen Lie not only held a position in the Wuwei Army but was also a third-generation true disciple of the Taowei Sect.

After Yao Xing's cultivation was revoked, he was unwilling to join the Dao Academy, which served as a reserve for the Wuwei Army, and did not have the qualifications to directly enter the inner sect of the Taowei Sect. Therefore, he could only temporarily stay in the Taowei Sect as a servant.

Yanzhou, the Great Yan Empire?

The thirty-six noble families?

The Yao clan?

The Wuwei Army, the Taowei Sect?

Dao Academy disciples, inner sect cultivation?

What the hell were these things?

What were the Spirit Opening Realm and the Enlightenment Realm? Why did he have this young man's chaotic memories in his mind?

What did Su Qian do to him?

Chen Hai lay in the pile of dead leaves, his limbs limp, his head throbbing, and his body feeling as if it had been disassembled, unable to move. He didn't understand why Su Qian had left him in this remote valley. He called out for help for a long time, but no one responded. Chen Hai was filled with fear, and Yao Xing's fragmented memories only made his mind more confused...

Yao Xing, once a proud son of the Yao clan, had become a "servant" at the Taowei Sect. Depressed, he indulged in debauchery, using his status as Chen Lie's nephew to seduce maids and new female disciples from other sects, quickly tarnishing his reputation at the Taowei Sect.

Fortunately, with Chen Lie's protection, Yao Xing was not expelled from the Taowei Sect.

This time, Yao Xing had invited his cousin Chen Qing's personal maid, Su Zilin, to gather herbs in the mountains. Driven by lust, he tried to seduce her, but as soon as he made his intentions clear, Su Zilin panicked and almost fell off the cliff. In trying to save her, Yao Xing himself fell.

Although Yao Xing had the Qingyun Inner Armor given to him by his uncle, the cliff he fell from was extremely deep, and he collided with the jagged rocks several times. The Qingyun Inner Armor quickly broke, losing its protective function...

What was this chaotic memory?

Chen Hai was frustrated, unable to understand where these memories in his mind came from. Feeling a bit of strength, he endured the excruciating pain in his limbs and wanted to see where Su Qian and the others were, and why they had left him here instead of taking him to the hospital.

Chen Hai struggled to lift his head and saw that he was wearing a blue robe, which looked like a Daoist robe, embroidered with light golden cloud patterns and animal designs. The robe was already tattered from being scratched by branches and rocks, and underneath, a blue-black scale-patterned soft armor was exposed, with a long tear.

Chen Hai was stunned...

Why was he wearing clothes that looked like ancient costumes?

What was Su Qian and the others up to?

A vine hung down from the cliff, and Chen Hai tried to sit up and grab the vine. He saw that his outstretched fingers were delicate and smooth, like those of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy. How could this be his hand?

At that moment, Chen Hai felt as if he had been struck by lightning:

This was definitely not his hand, and this was definitely not his body!

It wasn't that someone else's memories had been implanted in his mind, but that he had entered someone else's body!

Lifting his hand, he saw a blue-scaled, red-headed dragon tattoo on his left arm, extremely vivid and fierce, as if it had just been branded with a hot iron. It resembled the dragon cast on a black tripod, which had been transferred to this unfamiliar body's left arm.

What the hell was going on? Was he still on Earth?

Was this a joke gone too far?

Chen Hai's mind raced, and he fainted again, not noticing that the blue-scaled, red-headed dragon tattoo on his arm seemed to come to life, writhing and transforming into a dragon-shaped shadow, which disappeared into the void of the Taowei Mountains before the Blue-scaled Thunder Eagle arrived...

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